Water... The King Of Fitness

Lose Weight Fast!!!

Lose weight fast! Shed those unwanted
pounds quick! Super fast diet secret! Miracle weight loss supplement!
The secret fat burner they don't want you to know about! An all
natural fat burning supplement! The ultimate muscle building
supplement! Its the single most powerful supplement you can take for
losing weight, building muscle, or all around fitness....

...and it's water.

The Truth

As simple and deceptive as it sounds,
it remains true nonetheless. We've all seen ads similar to the
statements above. We are all tempted from time to time by the ads
about supplements that swear they can make the epic changes to our
figures that we all so dearly desire. There is a certain illusive
quality behind the success stories of the hard bodied men and
beautiful women that marketing flaunts in front of our faces.

The truth is that there is no secret
diet secret. There just isn't. But if there was. If there is one
secret weapon against fat, and/or to help build muscle, it is the
single cheapest and most available (For now anyway) supplement to all
of us. It is water.

cohdra / morguefile.com

Health Benefits

Before we discuss why water
is so awesome for losing weight and building muscle lets talk about
the other basic nutritional benefits of water. Water makes up 60 -
75% of the human body. It is essential to nearly every function of
the body. We cannot exist without it. To put it simply water works as
the trash company of your body. It helps removes all of the toxins
and wastes from your vital organs. It also serves as the
transportation system for nutrients. All of the vitamins, minerals,
and other nutrients you consume travel through your body to their
destination via H20.

Dehydration

Dehydration in simple terms
means that the person is losing a large amount of water, and not
resupplying enough water to replace the amount lost. This is very
bad because as mentioned above water is critical to every function of
the body. When dehydrated a person may experience headaches,
lethargy, a rise in body temperature and heart rate, muscle cramps,
fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite, constipation, and even death.
The list of symptoms goes on and on. There are few various causes of
dehydration, but for the intent of this article lets suffice to say
if you work out rigorously or cut back food intake you risk becoming
dehydrated. There is no reason ever to let this happen. Anytime
someone is involved in an activity (Or doing nothing for that matter)
and they are sweating, they should be replenishing water in to their
body.

Water For Weight Loss

Water helps the body
metabolize fat. This means that water helps your body burn the fat
you have stored, and may be trying to lose. As fat burns down it
becomes waste. Water also plays a key role in flushing that waste
from your system. Water can also help to suppress your appetite, and
its calorie free so drinking a lot of water won't add weight. Because
dehydration can cause you to feel weak and lethargic, you may find
yourself not doing your workouts to your full potential if you fail to remain hydrated.

Photo by David Kitchenham

Water For Muscle Building

Your muscles alone are built
up of approximately 70% water. Losing water in your muscles can
effect your muscle contractions, which means your muscles won't
perform as well. A loss of 3% of water in muscles can decrease your
strength substantially. Again, because dehydration can lead you to
feel weak and lethargic, not drinking plenty of water can cause you
to not workout to your full potential. When you lift weights or do
any exercise to build strength you actually tear down muscle tissue,
and your body rebuilds it back stronger. To complete this process your
body needs various nutrients. Water delivers these nutrients, and the
more hydrated you are the faster they will be delivered and perform
their function. Good hydration also helps in the prevention of joint
injuries that can occur during heavy training.

How Much Water?

8 cups of water a day is the
most common answer thrown around. That works out to 64 ounces a day
or half a gallon. This isn't entirely accurate however because every
one is different, and we all need a different amount of water.
Personally when I am dieting and/or trying to build muscle I usually
shoot for drinking a gallon of water a day. Of course this isn't in
one setting, that can be very dangerous. From the time I wake up
until I go to bed I'll haul a bottle of water around with me to sip
on and refill all day. Six 20oz. Bottles will put you just under a
gallon of water. Just to keep things a little low brow, I will also
judge by the color of my urine. If its clear I know that I am most likely well hydrated. However, if its gold I judge that I should be drinking
more water. These are by no means medical guidelines, but they have
worked well for me.

A Word of Caution

Drinking too much water at
once can kill you. Its true. So don't go and try to drink tons of
water at one time. I am in no way a medical professional. I've
learned these things through research and personal experience. Before
you begin any diet or exercise regimen you should speak to your
doctor or health care provider. They can help you personally figure
out how much water you should be drinking.

Comments

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sending

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

6 years agofrom The Ozarks

Thanks Weestro! Glad you liked it!

Pete Fanning

6 years agofrom Virginia

Very well put together hub. Love the pictures and the info! Voted up and awesome!

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

7 years agofrom The Ozarks

Thanks for the comment Karanda!

Karen Wilton

7 years agofrom Australia

I'm not sure how much water I drink but there is always a glass by the side of my computer and I take a bottle with me in the car even if it's only to pop into the local store. Great Hub with good sensible tips on water.

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

7 years agofrom The Ozarks

Rorshak thanks for the comment. I'm not sure there is a simple answer for that because the best possible drink could easily change based on your owen personal need at the time. when it's hot out and I'm outside doing physical activities i drink loads of water and usually sports drinks if I can for electrolytes, but as I learned while writing my other hub about electrolytes, you can find electrolytes in many other drinks, foods, and some waters.

rorshak sobchak

7 years ago

You just answered a question I posted a little bit ago I wanted to know what was the best beverage to drink on a hot day. Thank you

rorshak sobchak

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

7 years agofrom The Ozarks

Thank you fuscia! I appreciate it!

fucsia

7 years ago

The most natural and simple thing: water!

Thanks for this Hub, I enjoy it!

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

7 years agofrom The Ozarks

Thank you vocalcoach!! Im glad you like it!!

Audrey Hunt

7 years agofrom Idyllwild Ca.

. . . Love your hub on water. The photos are absolutely awesome! My eyes went directly to the "coolwhip" in the refrigerator photo. :) Rated a big thumbs up! Excuse me while I fill up my water bottle - :)vocalcoach

AUTHOR

Phillip Drayer Duncan

7 years agofrom The Ozarks

Hahaha Thank you for the comment! I actually was thinking about that! Maybe even a hangover cure hub!

aslanlight

7 years agofrom England

This is the best advice on water I've ever read! You could add that we need a lot of it before, and following drinking alcohol. I even drink it during!

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